Slingshot (catapult)

I think that if you do not have a supply of rubber, this will not be sustainable in a long term wilderness survival/living situation. In town or city in a shtf situation I personally think that people would have a hard time surviving. IF you managed to survive in the city & had a supply of rubber suitable for the function of this catapult, then I think it would be useful for hunting birds. It certainly is not the most primitive weapon, but does I believe date back to roughly the mid 19th century. The slingshot of David & Goliath fame would be far more sustainable but takes more skill to use.
Never the less, could be a handy tool in certain situations.
Keith.

 

this is a weapon that most British children of a certain era knew about, I have several in my collection and have made a couple into arrow firing slingbows, these fire shorter arrows than a bow and are therefore more easily concealed.

 

I see now they are shooting arrows with slingshots this would be quiet and easy carry way to hunt and defend

 

Even the catapult is banned/illegal here in NSW!
Keith.

 

only thing that is banned here is bow hunting, with any short of bow, crazy for a country that once defended itself with the longbow.

 

That I do think strange, with all those rabbits available for the table. A pitty. I grew up trapping & hunting with a bow in England until I was considered old enough to handle a gun.
Keith.

 

not really, when you realise 80% of the British population now live in cities, are 4 generations removed from the land and are rabidly anti what they call "blood" sports!!!

 

I suppose so, I guess it is a different world in the UK now.
Keith.

 

it sure is! vastly different from when I was growing up! these days most people don't have a clue where their food comes from nor do they care, everyone is ruled by those "best before" dates on packaging and apart from a few hikers their knowledge of the countryside is 2 weeks on a regulated campsite with toilets, showers and a camp shop, even a clubhouse at some!!

 

unlike my childhood, kids these days aren't allowed to play outdoors, parents seem to think there is a "pervert" behind each corner, I heard a report once of some mother saying she didn't let her child out because "i don't have the time to clean them up if they get dirty"!!, people move to the country then complain there are no pavements, no street lights, the church bells are too noisy, so are the cockerels, and the tractors hold up their daily commute back to the city, these sorts don't last long without a supermarket on each corner and their "coffee to go"!!
needless to say, such people haven't got a hope in hell of survival post SHTF.

 

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, the reason I left England was that the countryside around my home was disappearing. Our family home was a big 18th century farm house, I spent the majority of my youth playing in the surrounding fields & woodlands. As more & more of the farm land was taken over by housing estates, I travelled further afield to hunt wood pigeon. Eventually I could see the writing on the wall & could not see me enjoying the future there. Australia has its problems, mostly stemming from a totally corrupt government, corrupt large corporations & a largely apathetic population, but owning my own forest here gives me a lot of freedom that I could never have attained in England.
Keith.

 

well I cant complain, I must have had a sheltered life, but living in the Plymouth suburbs there was always plenty of fields and woods to explore, then when I got a bit older I started to explore Dartmoor.
I joined the Boy Scouts and this furthered by love of the countryside, well my mother was a farmers daughter so I suppose I got it from her.
I used to go fishing on a regular basis.